Parent Council Updates

Arran High School Parent Council Update February 2015

The Parent Council continues to meet monthly and all parents and carers are welcome to attend meetings. Dates for the next few months are 23rd March, 27th April, and 25th May at 7.30 pm in the school library.

John Butcher, Executive Director of Education for North Ayrshire Council, attended our January meeting and talked about the curriculum, 'high quality' learning and teaching, and that all children be encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability.

Topics which have been discussed in recent meetings include:-

concern about poor internet provision at the school
English and Music departments' staffing
Options for S3 to S5
work placement programme
bid requests for equipment from departments within school and obtaining possible grants for these
School improvement plan: Visions, Values and Aims working group
Parent Council meeting with Pupil Council to listen to their issues
House Competition for Charities mentioned where each house is given £8 to build on for their chosen charities: Alzheimer's Scotland; Help the Heroes; Cancer Research; Red Cross. The aim is to develop skills outwith the curriculum.
The School Fayre was a great success – the Duke of Edinburgh group raised £230 and the Fayre raised £1,000 for school funds.
the Parent Council Constitution
funding for Parent Council meetings

The Parent Council has a website (http://ahspc9.wix.com/ahspc) where you can see minutes of meetings, etc, please have a look. We also have a facebook page where you can follow us.

We are trying to make available to parents other helpful information. For instance if your child is going on a residential course for music or sport, which can be quite expensive, North Ayrshire Council have grants available to help. For more information follow the link: http://ahspc9.wix.com/ahspc#!/c1ghi

November 2013

The AGM of the Parent Council took place on 16th September with Tricia Jenkins taking on the role of Chairperson. The Parent Council met new members of staff informally after the meeting. The current parent membership is 9 with 3 places available for new members. Parents, carers or guardians are invited to attend any meeting and give their views or listen to discussion. Joyce Beasley was welcomed to the September meeting as a new community member, bringing her experience of health, education and the former School Board.

A Parent Council website http://ahspc9.wix.com/ahspc is currently being developed and a new Facebook page. Please take time to have a look. Former pupils are also invited to contribute their experiences of Arran High School.

At the meetings in August, September and October, the main topics of discussion were the number of subjects to be taught in S4 - 6, the change from a 30 to a 35 period week to meet Curriculum for Excellence requirements and the teaching of S4 - 6 as a single cohort. Consultation on these topics has been completed with teaching staff and parents are encouraged to respond to the Consultation Paper issued to parents, by Friday 22nd November. Please feel free to contact the school or parent members to discuss any concerns and issues raised by this consultation.

Other topics have included

S6 2013 parents' and leavers' questionnaire
supporting pupils participation in the 2014 referendum
the Government's response to the Report from the

Commission on the Delivery of Rural Education, which covers areas such as educational quality and resources in rural schools, rural transport, community use of buildings and the processes for school closures
the school role - currently 255
exam results for 2013
the sale of school housing and future provision
training for Arran Parent Council Chairs and members - 28th

November 7.30pm
pressure on the current S4 taking 8 subjects at National 4/5
postponement of work placements for S4
the School Improvement Plan
funding for a French assistant
after school clubs

Next meetings: Wed. 27th November, Mon. 13th January 7.30pm

June 2012

At meetings from March to June the main topics discussed were S3 Options

• the process (pupils consultation, options meeting for parents, 1 to 1 meetings, final parental agreement) and the need for parents to be better informed about making choices for the new qualifications (parents' meeting planned)

• the option / disadvantages of choosing new subjects in S4

• a number of S2 parents met informally and/or attended the May meeting bringing a range of concerns to the Senior Management Team. These included having to choose Music, Art or PE (particularly the lack of an option for Music and Art), Chemistry, not Biology, offered in two columns, French as opposed to only two Skills for Work courses, lack of information about progression and availability of subjects in S4 and beyond and the change to completing National qualifications in one year.

• the option of a 2 subject rotation in Art / Music / P.E. - not supported by teachers and the majority of parents
consulted Staffing

• the option of a 2 subject rotation in Art / Music / P.E. - not supported by teachers and the
majority of parents consulted Staffing

• appointments for Faculty Heads of Literacy and Language (preferred candidate a teacher of English) and Business Studies, Social Subjects and RME (preferred candidate a teacher of
Geography and Modern Studies)

• retirement of Mr Kelly (English) and early retirement of Mr Earle
(Technical Studies - acceptance from preferred candidate)

• Miss Moffat (History) and Miss Costello (Chemistry) leaving for new posts

• parental concern as a result of these staffing changes for French and
History (long-term absence) now addressed by Mrs Fletcher becoming full time and a permanent teacher of History to be appointed for August

North Ayrshire Council housing for teachers on Arran
•   lack of available housing for new teachers
•   5 empty properties unfit for rental / for sale / unattractive to
buyers
•   previous assurances that new property with short-term lease
arrangements would be purchased by NAC

Fundraising - Current Balance £1,097.33
•   relaunch of 50:50 Club
•   'No Need to Bake - Just Donate!' initiative for off-Island activities - more details to follow
•   pupil ideas for fund-raising events for the school

   Many parents are concerned about changes in the school due to Curriculum for Excellence, the falling school roll, the number of teachers provided by NAC in relation to pupil numbers, the breadth of subject choices available now and in the future and maintaining quality of education at the school giving Arran pupils as good an educational experience as mainland schools.

Please consider attending Parent Council meetings to express your views and support the school.